Tuesday, June 26, 2012

GW Fins

By: Amy Thomas

My mom is visiting for a couple days, which means I not only get to see my mommy and have a familiar face around in this new town, but also we get to eat somewhere schmoozy that I could not otherwise afford. We made reservations and Aaron, my mom and I hit the town for an impressive night out at GW Fins. As nice as the restaurant is, the decor reminds me of one of those bland high end prohibition big band joints, sans the band and debaucherous jaunt of illegal mischief. The ambiance was simple, tight, and extremely polite. The service on every single level was outstanding, from the front of house manager, to the general manager, to the water top-offer, we met every single one, they were all immensely professional, helpful, observant, and well spoken.

Blue Crab Potstickers with Pea Shoot Butter

I'm a chef, so the front of house is important but I'm about the back of the house-so lets get to the kitchen. We started with the Blue Crab Potstickers with Pea Shoot Butter. They were filled with blue crab, chanterelles, roe, country ham, and catfish, I'm really not sure how you can go wrong with this. Give it a light pan fry and top it off with this earthy and delicate pea shoot butter and this melange of land and sea come together in this delicious appetizer.

Next came the entrees, my mom and Aaron don't understand how to eat somewhere incredible and diversify their orders, and both ordered the Blackened Swordfish with crispy shrimp, spinach, mashed potatoes, roasted corn butter, and chili hollandaise. Yum. The Swordfish wasn't overcooked which is sometimes a concern of mine, it was juicy, meaty, with just the right amount of seasoning, and mating perfectly with the flavorful chili hollandaise and the sweet crunch of the roasted corn butter. The mashed potatoes and spinach justly served themselves, reconciling the serious flavors in the dish.

I ordered the Red Snapper with shrimp etouffée, Louisiana Jasmine rice, and lobster butter. The Snapper was perfectly seared with perfectly crisp flavorful skin. The etoufee was light and delicate, and the lobster butter savory. I can only say that I would have liked some actual lobster meat in the butter, I either missed out on the ladle or it was an infused butter. I was determined to finish my plate, almost to the brink of over-fill, avoiding the allowance of one scrap of food on my plate to be wasted on a trash can.

It was good, everything was cooked perfectly, everything was done right. I guess I wanted a little more, it was stiff, unimaginative, and without the playful New Orleans culinary personality I expect everywhere I dine in this city.